THE COMPLEXITIES OF CANNABIS

Ross Shep Wins Student Debate On Marijuana

It's one thing to spout the latest rhetoric on legalizing marijuana;
it's quite another to offer an informed opinion.

A recent debate tournament on the topic drew more than 100 students
from various schools throughout the city. Organized by Old Scona
Academic Debate Society, the tournament was structured so that all
participants would have an opportunity to argue both sides of the
question at different times throughout the day.

In teams of two, students competed in three rounds of debate, followed
by a final in which the two top teams squared off in an effort to
claim an enormous trophy for their school.

The trophy will rest at Ross Shepherd for the next year, after which
students will again gather to debate a hot public policy issue.

This year I had the pleasure of participating in the debate, and I
discovered first hand the amount of work and preparation that so many
students put into these types of events.

Through extensive research, participants were exposed to a plethora of
information related to the topic, thus allowing the students to
develop more informed opinions on the issue of marijuana legalization.
Many students came upon information about cannabis and related
Canadian law which surprised them and which shed new light on this
public policy issue.

For example, questions concerning the medicinal use of marijuana
figured prominently into many of the debates. Several of the teams
noted that the component of marijuana which is supposed to have
medicinal benefit, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, is already available
in pill form. With nothing more than a doctor's prescription patients
may acquire dronabinol, a pharmaceutical which offers the same
medicinal benefit as marijuana without the harmful effects associated
with smoking a joint.

The consensus at the tournament was that smoked marijuana cannot be
legalized simply because of its supposed medical benefits. This
represents the tip of the iceberg in terms of significant information
discussed by various debaters.

The debate tournament was a fabulous opportunity for students to look
more deeply into questions related to marijuana legalization.

As tournament organizer Qassim Tejpar noted, "The people who
participated in the debate tournament definitely have a leg up on the
rest of the population in the amount of research that they've done and
the time that they've spent contemplating the issue."

Hopefully these debaters will endeavor to discuss the information they
have learned, and will seek to expand on their knowledge. Thanks to
the debate organizing committee at Old Scona, the University of
Alberta Debate Society, and to all the coaches, volunteers, and
parents who came out to support the event.

Garnett Genuis is a Grade 11 student at Old Scona Academic high
school.